Do trial riders like a longer reach for Enduro and DH bikes?

[Mr_Orange]

I'm trying to figuire out the right frame/stem/bar size for my first DH bike.

Never tried a DH bike before but i remember a while back blocking out reach measurements in a CAD program and noticing that DH and enduro bikes are closer in a bar position to a bmx bike. More cramped.

I've gotten comfortable with a bar position similar to a Inspired street trials bike which is something like an inch or two further forward and taller than a bmx.

Does anyone here (i guess more specifically the street trial riders. Can't imagine anyone riding MTB with a super long reach comp trials position) try to match their mountain bike bar position with their street trials bike?

[Mr_Orange]

Not sure what just happened. This thing reposted a bunch of times. 

[jamesb]

I ignore all the trials traditions when I set up my MTB. I want it to ride like a DH bike, not a trials bike. Imagine trying to ride a trials bike on a DH track! Check out some pro bike-checks and see how they set it up. As for reach, most companies have sizing charts that are very accurate, unless you are a pro going mach 7... in that case you'd go for a longer reach than normal (usually). Stem length is usually 35-50mm, I don't think anyone rides longer than that.

Switching between different bikes with opposite set-ups becomes easy with practice. You will feel the benefits of each bikes position. Have fun!

[robkerly]

i agree with james, i've set bikes up to what im used to before, and ruined them just because it initially felt comfortable and 'normal'.  I reckon now to try and treat each bike as a tool for its specific purpose, so my old xc bike is super long 90s geo. street bike is fairly short and really high, stock is as low and as long as i can get the front end and the new enduro bike is mid to long reach with a titchy stem. switching bikes only feels odd for a few seconds, and then just feels like home.    

[Mr_Orange]

I realize this could be misleading so i should reiterate that I'm talking about the handle bar positioning of a 24" street trial bike like an Inspired. Not something like a mod with a 180mm stem.

So a subtle difference of 1 inch more reach than a DH bike. Not 2-3 inches.

Bmx riders of the same height use anywhere from a 20.4tt to 21.5 tt and now people move their bars forward too. 

Having never been downhill riding before, i was speculating that factors like pedaling in a seated position and riding for a long sustained period of time might dictate your ideal reach.

 

[MadManMike]

Two totally different things in my opinion, I wouldn't bother comparing setups at all.

They're both bikes, but that's where the similarities end for me. I ride MTB these days and if I get on a BMX or trials bike now it feels totally different.

[Davetrials]

Most modern MTB/DH frames are designed in such a way that anything over a 50mm stem would make a hash brown of the ride. 

[Jere_h]

Definitely a longer reach (not a Pole level long though).

Ridden two different generations of the Santa Cruz 5010 now with almost 2cm difference in reach number and the longer/newer one feels MUCH better in every possible way in every type of riding. I like to setup my bikes to match the purpose they belong to and adapt my skills to each bike separately rather than mixing the setups. At the moment I can quite comfortably switch from trials to full suspension without any awkward feeling.

The old 5010 I had with shorter reach was constantly feeling too cramped to bunnyhop properly or do any trialsy rear wheel moves. With the new one I feel like there's plenty of leverage and I can apply way more strength and control to riding (just like street trials vs comp bike). Always felt like I had to hang on the bars instead of being centered on the bike and that few cm makes a huge difference. Probably could still go longer (like Pole) for DH based enduro but for trail jibs and regular trail riding this geometry feels like the sweet spot for me, being agile enough to have fun.